


Everything For You That Was Far Away

by AKUMA_jpg



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Chuu is Chuu, F/F, Jungeun is tsundere, Some Fluff, very angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:41:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27566932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKUMA_jpg/pseuds/AKUMA_jpg
Summary: Sometimes she needed to take a step back and breathe. Her life had drastically changed since Jiwoo came to Hanlim. Here comes this girl, coming into her class, her life, and boom, best friends. To be honest, most of the energy came from Jiwoo, but Jungeun never protested.“Yah! Kim Jungeun! I’m gonna make your life worth living!” She yelled after her, slinging her backpack on.I’d like to see you try.She thought to herself.
Relationships: Kim Jiwoo | Chuu/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Comments: 7
Kudos: 63





	1. "Carried in full, along with the moonlight"

**Author's Note:**

> I really like the chuulip dynamic and this prompt has been sitting in my drafts for a while now. enjoy :)

The cold hard surface of the fake wooden desk against her cheek was the only thing she felt. No one gave her weird looks, no one stared, she was just…ignored. So Jungeun just laid there, it almost felt like she was waiting for something or someone. 

Every day was the same: she would get up in her large empty house, get dressed in her plain school uniform—whose emblem patch stitched to her blazer reminded her how privileged she was—and was driven to school in that damned expensive black range rover. She hated it, she hated all of it. She hated the wealth dripping from her name,  _ Kim Jungeun, _ she hated her parents, always away on business trips, and she hated those opaque white pills rattling around in her prescribed obnoxious orange pill bottle. 

There was something very wrong with her, at least that’s what she believed. She wasn’t like other kids, it wasn’t easy for her to be happy. A dark sickness residing in the back of her mind, the forefront of her heart. But it was always like this, her parents coaxing her into taking her meds so that they could pretend to be the picture-perfect family. Her older sister was different, she was a free soul, but her parents didn’t want that. They wanted someone to inherit the family business, someone who could bring stability and ensure their wealth would last for generations to come. 

The pressure to deliver those expectations quite literally crushed her sister. She couldn’t take it. All the fake smiling, the handshakes, being around people who always thought less of her, sooner or later it killed her. Jungeun still remembers seeing the crimson bathtub, her sister’s lifeless form still as the water overflowed, spilling on the cold tile. 

She missed her sister. The way she would always try to cheer her up whenever she thought Jungeun looked sad—she always looked sad—and how she would sneak them candy during holiday parties. Life without Kim Somin was a bland life to live in her opinion. 

The class bell ringing interrupting her morning snooze, she slowly lifted her head to greet the same tired-looking old man that taught her Calculus class. Everything he wore was the same shade of navy blue, except his pristine vanilla shirt and pressed satin tie. The grey emitting from the dull autumn clouds seeped in through the windows, spewing across the modern classroom. A classroom filled with students giving the man upfront their undivided attention. 

“ _ Ahem _ ,” he called. “Today we have a new student joining us—”

She didn’t really need to pay attention. If there was something she learned from her 3 years in high school it was that she just needed to read the textbook and pass tests to fly under the radar. It’s not like there was anything she wanted to do, her parents were just going to put her into whatever business school they wanted. That’s how it was. She would just drift through her days while her parents controlled her life. She didn’t mind, it’s not like she thought much of herself anyways. Sometimes she was envious of her sister, how she was able to feel things, how she was able to escape—

“Jungeun-ssi,” the teacher called for her, snapping her out of her apparent daydream. “This is your new tablemate.” 

He pushed the girl forward. She stood about one inch shorter than her, her hair a beautiful shade of auburn. One of the only things she enjoyed about Mr.Choi’s class was the fact that she sat alone. In fact, one of the main reasons she chose her seat all the way in the back was because there was no one who sat next to her—but that just changed. 

Nonetheless, the girl gladly took a seat next to her, with the most annoyingly cute smile. Introducing herself, “Hi, I’m Kim Jiwoo. But you must’ve already heard my introduction.”

She did not, Jungeun wasn’t paying attention. But boy did she wish she had, this girl was so pretty. Her bangs were a little grown out, swept to the side, she had big cute eyes that scrunched up when she smiled at her. 

“H-hello, I’m Kim Jungeun.” 

“Really? That means we both have the same surname as half of Korea.” She quietly chuckled as Mr.Choi carried on with class. 

“Not much of a talker are you?” Jiwoo persisted the dead conversation, Jungeun’s nose deep in her notebook. 

“No,” she replied bluntly. This is normally how she socialized with other people (ie not at all). It was apparent that she came off standoffish, but it came to her advantage when most of the time she wanted people to leave her alone. 

“Come on,” she nudged her with the tip of her elbow. “Tell me about yourself.” She egged her on. 

“What’s it to you?” 

“I just want to get to know my new seat partner. We  _ are _ going to be stuck together for the rest of senior year.” 

Just from the looks of it, this “Kim Jiwoo” and her were very different. Judging from the diaspora of cat stickers on Jiwoo’s notebook compared to her plain black one, they wouldn’t be the type of girls that mix well. 

“There’s not much to share—”

“Ms.Kim, I’m trying to teach a class.” Mr.Choi cut in. 

“Sorry,” caught redhanded, the two girls kept their heads down and paid attention to the rest of the lecture. 

Twirling her pencil in her hand, watching everyone pack their things in a hurry to escape math class. Jungeun took her sweet time putting her things away, in an attempt for Jiwoo to leave her alone—who was still sitting next to her, albeit waiting. 

“What class do you have next?” She finally broke the silence, watching Jungeun slide her notebook back into her expensive Louis Vuttion backpack. 

“Korean Literature—”

“Oooh, me too!” Before she knew what was happening, Jiwoo was already dragging her out the door, their arms interlocked. 

___

It was like this all week, Jiwoo making Jungeun follow her everywhere. It was exhausting but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying it. Jiwoo was such a character—the way she would light up whenever Jungeun sat down next to her, sharing everything she did when they weren’t together, in detail. 

Unknowingly, Jungeun’s walls started to crack. She started taking mental notes on things Jiwoo shared with her. Her favorite color was peach, she loved strawberries, she had two younger brothers—one named Jinyoung and the other Jimin—and she listens to the same Dean song every day before class, Dayfly. 

“Did you just move here?” Jiwoo looked shocked Jungeun was asking  _ her _ a question. 

“Yeah, I was put on the waiting list. This is kind of my dream school.” She responds coyly. 

She never thought about that, all the things she had that other people probably worked a lifetime for. Her school, her house, her family—well, maybe not her family. 

“I didn’t want to come at first. I have two younger brothers and I wanted my parents to spend it on them going to a good school. But my dad insisted, he even took up another job just to be able to afford tuition.” She smiled softly to herself. 

_ She’s not well off? _ It was sporadic to see someone so open about their financial background, going to school with a bunch of elitists, working-class students were very prone to bullying. But Jiwoo seemed comfortable enough with her to share this, so Jungeun nodded in acknowledgment. 

How did she do it? How was Jiwoo happy  _ all _ the time? How could so much positivity come from  _ one _ person? Even when bad things happened, she still remained happy. Like when they were eating lunch and she dropped the last of chocolate-covered strawberry by accident. She had heard Jiwoo talking about them for the past few days and she decided to pick some up for her (she defends that it was just out of convenience but deep down she knows she went out of her way to get them). Regardless, she still had that same bubbly smile plastered on her face.

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“How are you so positive all the time?”

“Hmm? I don’t know? There really isn’t anything for me to be sad about, so I’m just happy.” She shrugged. 

_ If only it was that easy. _

“Why are you sad  _ all _ the time?” 

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, you sit in classroom head in the clouds, all mysterious. You act all broody when inside your just as soft as me.” Jiwoo made a move to squish Jungeun’s cheeks in between her warm hands, staring deep into her eyes. 

Trying her hardest to  _ avoid _ eye contact, “I’m not soft.” She grumbled.

“It doesn’t matter what you say, you’re still my Junggie.” 

_ Yours. _

Sometimes she needed to take a step back and breathe. Her life had drastically changed since Jiwoo came to Hanlim. Here comes this girl, coming into her class, her life, and boom, best friends. To be honest, most of the energy came from Jiwoo, but Jungeun never protested. Her making them roam the after school streets of Seoul, in the prewinter dark—where the sun set at 5. 

“What is it like?”

“Hmm?” They were sitting in a dark playground, harboring the old squeaky swings. Jiwoo was eating a warm pork bun, it’s steam visible in the cold air. 

“Being ‘affluent’” She made big air quotes with her free hand. 

“Rich?”

“Mhm, I’ve never met someone so rich that doesn’t seem to care about money.” 

“I care,” 

“Really? You don’t seem very enthusiastic.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Well, I’m not enthusiastic, to begin with.” 

“And that’s what we need to change!” Jiwoo got up after shoving the remaining bites of her snack into her mouth and dusting off her hands, getting up and standing in front of Jungeun. “I, Kim Jiwoo, will make you, Kim Jungeun, enjoy life.” 

“Jiwoo-ya—” Her phone erupted into a cacophony of a billion text messages, cutting her off mid-sentence.  _ 22 messages, 2 missed calls. _

“Umma?” She answered the phone, Jiwoo with her arms crossed in front of her. 

“Jungeun, we need to go to the salon. To get your air redyed for the banquet tomorrow. You have an appointment in 30 minutes, I’ll send the driver to come pick you up soon.” She said blunt and emotionless. 

“Uhh, yes Umma,” was all she could fit in before the line went dead. 

There it was, the harsh call back to reality. The reality where she had little to no control over what she did, or how she lived. She couldn’t even pick the hair color she wanted, her parents made her go blonde. The burning in her scalp, the stinging bleach penetrating her once black hair, and there was nothing she could do. 

“Um, sorry Jiwoo. I gotta go.”

“Yah! Kim Jungeun! I’m gonna make your life worth living!” She yelled after her, slinging her backpack on. 

She thought to herself, loading into the chauffeured Bentley.  _ I’d like to see you try. _


	2. “We keep shining in my mind”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As expected of Jiwoo, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to know a lot of people. Part of her was envious that everyone treated her like family, she wished she had that too. The cafe was small but warm, the calming atmosphere served college students cramming for midterms, insomniacs, and two highschool students—Jungeun and Jiwoo.

Sitting in the same salon chair with her mom’s stylist dabbing more hair dye onto her head. She flinches every time the woman tending to her pulls her locks, afraid they’ll fall out if she’s any rougher. Every time she sat in this seat she couldn’t help but wonder if it was Somin supposed to be here in her place. Oftentimes her older sister would talk about how she’d protect her from all this, all the face politics their parents were going to put them through. 

But she couldn’t, Somin couldn’t take it all. It was too much to bear. Even Jungeun had to take medication just to be able to stop herself from meeting the same fate, the pressure unbearable. She was groomed to be the next CEO of her dad’s massive company—she didn’t want it, she didn’t want any of it. She wishes an asteroid could blow her off the face of the planet and wipe her from existence. 

_ “I, Kim Jiwoo, will make you, Kim Jungeun, enjoy life.”  _

The words repeated in her head, they almost gave her hope. She, without a doubt, knew there was nothing Jiwoo would be able to do about her constant deposition, but at least she’d get to see her more.  _ That _ was one of the only things she was looking forward to, Kim Jiwoo. 

Jiwoo was a weird girl. She would always be so talkative and nice to everyone, even if they treated her like garbage. Like the popular upperclassman that made fun of her dad’s car—old and worn from its years of use—but Jiwoo never failed to greet them in the hallways and show a friendly demeanor. It made no sense to her. 

“Am I your first friend?” They were sitting on the roof of their forgotten school. She was picking at her home-packed lunch. 

“What makes you think that?” Jungeun’s voice lacking expression—actually scratch that—her whole body lacking expression. 

“It didn’t look like you had any friends before I came.” Jiwoo scooted closer to her, she scooted further away. 

Jungeun  _ used _ to have friends. Sure she’s always been shy and meek but believe it or not, she used to have friends—well, just one friend,  _ Jung Jinsoul _ . 

“I’ve never been very social.”

“Well, duh,” Jiwoo rolled her eyes playfully before taking a wrapped candy from her lap and putting it in Jungeun’s lunch. “So…what happened to your friends?”

Taking a deep breath before answering, Jiwoo definitely wasn’t going to leave this alone so she might as well answer. “We grew apart.”

Her friend from the past, Jung Jinsoul, used to be her neighbor in the 1st grade. The two mixed well, both preferring to stay indoors and play rather than go outside where it was loud and scary. Jinsoul was also a big nerd, Jungeun remembers drawing in coloring books while Jinsoul built intricate robot Gundams. And she was always patient and willing to give her utmost attention to her little friend. Her mom was a coveted psychiatrist and her dad was a physics professor at SNU. Jinsoul had no idea what she was going through. And then Somin passed, everything after that seemed grey. She stopped talking, eating, playing, and seeing Jinsoul. The older girl tried reaching out to her, wanting to cheer up her dear friend, but Jungeun didn’t want to be cheered up. She just wanted Somin back. 

So they stopped talking. Going into middle school Jungeun didn’t even try to make friends, and Jinsoul moved to Canada, her dad getting an opportunity to teach there. 

“Oh,” Jiwoo looked like she was trying to formulate what to say next. “Well, you have me now!” 

“.....” Jungeun simply just looked at her, with a blank face. 

But this didn’t deter Jiwoo one bit, “And we’re never going to grow apart! Not until the day I die!”

She got up and pumped a fist into the air for emphasis, making Jungeun smile at her goofiness.  _ You’re really something else Jiwoo-ya. _

___

Sometimes she even wondered if Jiwoo was human. Like how was this girl still energetic at 4 am? They were lab partners in AP Biology and of course, Jiwoo asked the teacher if they could be partners. The whole school feeling kind of bad for Jungeun, of course they say yes. The lab partners needed to take notes on the specific flower they were studying, they needed to observe the characteristics of its untimely blooming. 

“Come on Jungeun, what’s gonna turn that frown upside down?” She didn’t know 4 am Jiwoo was this corny. This girl was still hell-bent on making her happy.

“Can we please just take these notes? I wanna go back to sleep.”

“Not until you tell me what you’re deepest desire is!” Jiwoo smiled at her before turning her attention back to the slowly blooming flower and jotting down notes with her cute Gudetama pen. 

“Right now, my deepest desire is to go inside where it’s warm.” She grumpily wrapped her coat tighter around her sides. 

“Fine you big baby, I’m almost done.” She scribbled the last of her ideas down before snapping a quick picture on her polaroid, tucking the undeveloped film into her thick coat pocket before turning to Jungeun. 

Waiting expectantly, she was not expecting Jiwoo to take a picture of her too. “What was that for?”

“Nothing,” Jiwoo still wore a playful smile on her face. “Just thought you looked nice.” Hiding the new picture in her pocket along with the flower one. 

“Let’s go get hot chocolate!” 

“Are any cafes even open?” She subconsciously walks closer to Jiwoo (for heat purposes, only). 

“There’s a 24-hour one near my house.” 

“Is it far? I’m cold.”

“No, it’s only a block away.” She grabbed Jungeun’s gloved hand, interlocking their fingers and slipping it into her coat pocket, not letting go. 

The domestic gesture and closeness made her cheeks glow red, Jiwoo wasn’t one to shy away from skinship and Jungeun was quiet the opposite—her face turning as red as a tomato. 

Jiwoo’s neighborhood was so deep in the city but it somehow felt…homey? Walking through the morning market together, seeing all the fishermen and fruit loaders stock up their displays.

“Good morning, Jiwoo-ya!” An old shopkeeper waved at them.

“Good morning, hal-abeoji!” Jiwoo bowed her head, her other hand wrapped was currently wrapped around Jungeun’s. 

“Ah! Jiwoo-ya! Tell your dad I say hi!” Another passerby greeted them. 

“Will do Mr.Kang,” 

“Do you know these people?” Jungeun whispered to her even though there was no one near them. 

“Yeah, I grew up near the market so it’s full of familiar faces.”

As expected of Jiwoo, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to know a lot of people. Part of her was envious that everyone treated her like family, she wished she had that too. The cafe was small but warm, the calming atmosphere served college students cramming for midterms, insomniacs, and two highschool students—Jungeun and Jiwoo. 

“Two hot chocolates please!” Jiwoo smiled at the woman behind the counter. Jungeun made a move to get her wallet but Jiwoo stopped her, cash already in hand. 

“No need, it’s on the house.” The clerk returned a smile that closely resembled that of Jiwoo’s. 

“Ehh? But you did that  _ last  _ time Haseul-unnie,” she whined. “Let me pay this once?”

“I insist, plus can’t have your new friend paying for something like this. My treat.”

“Really? You’d do that?” Jiwoo’s frustrated expression melted away within seconds at the mention of free drinks.

“Anything for you Jiwoo-ya. How are your brothers doing, by the way?” 

“Good, Jimin’s having trouble with math these days, and Jinyoung too cool to hang out with his sister now.” She cutely pouted. 

“Seems like yesterday when they were babies…” Haseul rang them up, ripping the receipt out of the printer. “Time really flies, huh?”

“I’d say, you’re already a sophomore in college!” 

“I am, aren’t I?” The college student pondered, looking back. “Well, enjoy your drinks.” 

Jiwoo dragged them to a two-seater table near the frosted window, madly grinning at the apprehensive girl in front of her. 

“How do you two know each other?” Jungeun asked, fiddling with their receipt in her hands.

“Who, Haseul-unnie? We’re actually cousins!” Jiwoo gave her a toothy grin. “On my mom’s side, though. She’s like an older sister, we’re really close.”

“Hmm, she seems nice.” She added, looking out onto the busy market scene. 

“Two hot chocolates.” Haseul reappeared from the back. “Enjoy,”

“Thanks, unnie!”

Where Jungeun sat in silence, Jiwoo was the opposite, drumming her fingers rhythmically along the deep brown wooden table. Too busy staring at Jiwoo, she burns her tongue on her hot drink. 

“Aaa, hot!” 

“That’s the most emotion I’ve seen from you ever.” Jiwoo deadpanned. 

“Har-har, you’re so funny.” She returned. 

Pulling out her camera again, she snapped a picture of Jungeun mid-sip. 

“Why do you keep doing that?”

“Because this is the only time I’ve seen you without a frown on your face. Save for this morning when we were outside.”

“Shut up,” she grumbled, lightly blushing. 

“There it is!” Jiwoo snapped another picture. 

“Yah! Cut that out!”

“Never!” 

Jiwoo took another one and Jungeun made a move to grab the camera out of her hands, but not before another picture. The flash went off this time, slightly blinding her in the process, making her accidentally knock it out of Jiwoo’s hands and onto the floor. Hearing the loud lens crack resound through the cafe, both girls looked at each other with wide eyes. 

Watching as Jiwoo’s defeated figure moved to pick up her camera, “Jiwoo…I’m sorry.”

Picking it up and inspecting it, it was indeed broken, “It’s fine, it was old anyways.” She smiled, but this time it was different. Like there was a darker sadness behind it. 

Jungeun sure knows Jiwoo can’t afford to get it fixed, let alone buy a new one, her heart aches just a bit. 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Honestly, it’s fine. It was kind of breaking already.” She nervously laughed, slipping the broken equipment back into its case. 

The two quietly sipped on their drinks, leaving the cafe feeling warm but…odd. Sure Jiwoo was upset, it was a normal reaction to feel, she had to be upset—right? Nope, Jiwoo still gave her that same damned smile, even when parting for the rest of the day, waving her off as Jungeun got into her loathsome black car. 

That was it, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Jiwoo’s hidden sad face, all just so that she wouldn’t upset her. Jungeun felt so bad. Giving in to her impulses and booting up her laptop, she browsed the internet for cameras she’d think Jiwoo would like. 

_ Does she want another film camera? Or would she want a digital one? Film is kind of expensive, right? What about this one? _

It’s not like there was anyone she could ask, she didn’t really know many people. Opening her phone and messaging the only person she’d think could help her through SNS.

**kim_lippie [7:48 pm]**

Do you know anything about cameras?

I kind of need help.

**ItsHeejin [7:48 pm]**

Wow, you’re actually texting me?!

I’m not dreaming, am I?

**kim_lippie [7:48 pm]**

-_-

**ItsHeejin [7:48 pm]**

Yes! I do know a lot about cameras

What’s the occasion?

**kim_lippie [7:48 pm]**

I kinda accidentally broke a friend’s camera and 

I want to buy her a new one

**ItsHeejin [7:50 pm]**

You have friends?

Sorry, sorry, it’s just been a long time since we’ve talked :0

Still kinda can’t believe you’re messaging me ;)

**kim_lippie [7:50 pm]**

Yes, I have friends

Well just one 

Can you help me or not?

**ItsHeejin [7:50 pm]**

Yes yes

What do you need to know?

**kim_lippie [7:50 pm]**

Like which ones to get

Which ones are better

Ya know?

**ItsHeejin [7:50 pm]**

If you’re looking to buy a film camera than  Fujifilm X-T200

is a good film one

For digital….Lemme check

Well, the best DSLR rn is the Nikon D3500

**kim_lippie [7:51 pm]**

????????

In Korean, please e_e

**ItsHeejin [7:51 pm]**

You know what, there’s a good camera shop

near the market in Yongsan

**kim_lippie [7:51 pm]**

Thanks

**ItsHeejin [7:51 pm]**

Np, it was nice talking to you even if it was just about cameras

:)

**kim_lippie [7:51 pm]**

I’m… sorry

I’ll try harder in the future

Heejin was one of Jinsoul’s friends, she had a lot. It was no coincidence they ended up going to the same high school, Heejin’s parents were affluent people with fat bank accounts. The reason she asked the younger girl was because Heejin was the president of the yearbook club, her eyes always trained on her iPad pro—drawing—or through a camera lens, capturing pictures for editorials. 

When she saw Jiwoo at school the next day, the girl acted as if nothing happened—again. It was astonishing really, the way Jiwoo never got mad. She was the same bubbly soul she always was. There wasn’t really anything she hasn’t seen of Jiwoo yet, she and Jiwoo had every class together. 

“Hey, what did you get for #3 again?” She brought the tip of her pencil to her mouth, thinking hard.

Being in every one of her classes, Jungeun learned her strengths and weaknesses when it came to academics. Jiwoo was really good at Korean literature, History, and home economics, but she sucked at Biology and Calculus. 

“Umm, I got 32 over 78.” The blonde answered her question. 

“Ooo, I got that too!” Jiwoo squealed. “Just wanted to check.”

How on Earth was this girl still happy when doing math? This was the 9th biggest mystery in the world, she assumed. 

This day was just like any other school day, but Jungeun was dying for it end already. She had a plan and a mission, she was going to that camera store and bombard the employees working there with her million questions. 

When the final bell rang, she was already out the door, haphazardly waving goodbye to her one friend before giving the driver directions to the shop north of her school. Feeling a wave of familiarity washed over her as she re-entered the same location of when she was with Jiwoo—it felt different. There weren’t random people waving at them, no one greeting the happy girl she was usually seen with. 

There it was, the small quaint camera shop had a couple eye-catching displays in the front window. The little bell ringing, announcing her arrival rung throughout the small shop when she opened the door. It was very homey, not what she expected from a camera shop. Pictures lined the walls, with the photographer’s names under them. Leaning in to look at one—it was a beautiful landscape of the city right after the first spring rain—the name under it looked oddly familiar… _ Kim Jiwoo? _

_ Hmm, what a coincidence? I guess Jiwoo must be a common name…  _

“Jungeun?” 

_ Oh shit. _

“Ahh, Jiwoo?”

“What are you doing here? Buying a camera?” 

_ Shit. _ What were the odds that the person she was trying to get a gift for worked at the  _ exact _ place where she needed to buy it? She really had the worst luck, huh? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading, don't forget to leave Kudos!
> 
> You guys can follow me on [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/akuma__jpg) I occasionally post updates there :)
> 
> You can also leave me messages in [My Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/AKUMA_jpg) if you have any comments or wanna talk in general


	3. "Fuck this world I'm living in"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is named after a Rina Sawayama song instead of an English translated Loona lyric (like they usually are). I listened to this song while writing the chapter and I feel like it heavily conveys the emotions written ahead. ["Fuck This World (Interlude)" By Rina Sawayama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U16wQMYM5s)
> 
> Another song from this chapter that I listen to was ["Obstacles" By Syd Matters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb1SkDjaXk8) It has a very melancholy tone, one that fills me with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, not to mention it has that vibe where it makes you want to stare thoughtfully out a window while listening. Very much recommend it.

Well, it would be weird if she just up and left after Jiwoo caught her. She might as well play it up while she’s here, maybe even get to know what type of camera she wants. Jiwoo was still wearing her school uniform, just replace the emblemed blazer with a vest that had the shop’s logo imprinted on the left side. 

“What are you doing here? Buying a camera?” 

“Uhh, I guess you could say that.” She tried tip-toeing around the subject as much as possible. It became increasingly clear that this was not the camera shop she should buy from, she was merely here to gather information now. “Did you take this?” She motioned over at the picture in front of them.

“Yeah, I took it from my balcony.”

“It’s really nice.”

“You think so? I’ve always thought it was a bit generic.” She admitted, modestly.

“So,” she started, getting ready to crack down on business. “I need your help.”

“How sudden,” Jiwoo turned to her on her heels. “What can I help you with?” She said in her perfect customer assistant voice.

“Well, I’m very interested in cameras. You see, I know nothing about them.” God, her acting was  _ so _ bad.  _ Interested in cameras? Come on Jungeun, keep it together. _

“Well, I just happen to be a self-proclaimed expert in cameras so you’re in luck.” Jiwoo still hasn’t seemed to catch on to her horribly shaped plan yet so everything was peachy. 

“Teach me the ways.”

They both set off deep in the store, through the loaded shelves. Jiwoo starting, “Well first, there are many different types of cameras: there are DSLR’s, film, point-and-shoot, bridge, and medium-format cameras—just to name a few.”

“Uhh—what do you shoot with?” 

“I used to shoot with a traditional film camera, ya know, the ones with the film canisters that you have to develop in those red rooms. But recently I’ve been shooting Polaroid film.”

_ Until I wrecked your camera. _ Jungeun scolded herself.

“How did you get into photography?” Now they were just aimlessly walking through the deep isles. 

“I used to pass this shop every day on the way to school when I was younger. I always thought the cameras on display looked so amazing. I would make my mom stop and stare at the windows with me because they’d always have the newest camera out front. And on my 7th birthday, my parents bought me a little mermaid themed one for kids.” 

“Wow, so you’ve been taking pictures for,” she started counting on her fingers, “10 years?”

“Yup!” She smiled triumphantly. “And now I work here! I first started working here to cover the cost of my tuition and occasionally the manager lets me sit in on the art classes for free. I learn a lot!”

So that was how Jiwoo got into Hanlim, through photography. Hanlim  _ was _ a performing and visual arts school. Jungeun didn’t even remember how she got in. Sure, she passed an audition for vocals in the 9th grade, but that was ages ago. It’s been years since she sang and found it a waste of time since her parents were just going to make her major in business. She didn’t even know how she convinced them to let her go to Hanlim, going to this high school was the only choice she was allowed to make. 

“If you could use any camera, what would it be?”

“Well, I’ve only ever shot with digital SLR’s in class, I haven’t actually ever owned one. Man, that’s a hard one.” She brought a finger to her chin, thinking hard. “On one hand the sharpness of a DSLR camera is unmatched and modern but on the other hand, film cameras are so nostalgic, you can manually do everything with them.  _ But _ , I’ve had film cameras all my life and my mother always encourages me the try new things.” 

Jungeun was half paying attention. Not that she was uninterested in the girl, just that she understood little of what she was saying. All this camera talk had her confused and lost in both the store and Jiwoo’s words. 

“I’d say a Nikon DSLR, one of the newer models too. You know Jeon Heejin, from myearbook? She has the Z 50, the mirrorless one, and one time she let me take it for a spin, and  _ man _ , it was just eye-opening. All my shots came out crystal clear!”

“The Z 50?” Mentally taking that down.

“Yeah. I was also thinking about joining yearbook, seems like a good bunch of kids. And that way I’d have an excuse to take pictures all day.”

“You should do it,” her eyes grazing the ancient-looking camera on display over somewhere, “I think you’d be good at it.” 

Jiwoo took her around the rest of the store and Jungeun understood like two words that came out of her mouth. The younger girl occasionally slipping a cheap disposable camera out of her pocket just to sneakily snap a picture of her. Jungeun definitely knew she was taking pictures, but this time she didn’t seem to mind, leaving the girl to her antics.

The two abandoned the stocked shelves behind them, moving on to explore the plethora of pictures hung up on the wall—half of them were Jiwoo’s. 

Personally, Jungeun never really saw the appeal of photography. She thought it was a lazy form of art, considering all you do is click a button and boom, picture. But now she was seeing it all in a different light, the way the picture was composed, overlapping objects, and as Jiwoo explained it, light aperture settings that made certain things shine brighter than others. It was all very fascinating to her, also the look in Jiwoo’s eyes, there was something deeper in them than what was on the surface. 

And for now, Jungeun let herself ignore everything. She let all the bad thoughts in the back of her head, thoughts of her future, thoughts of Somin fizzle away for a bit. Instead, she chose to stay with Jiwoo, browsing the sections of the store while she waited for her shift to end. 

“What do you do for fun?” Jiwo asked, zipping up her coat and wrapping her scarf around her neck to protect her from the cold. 

“Fun?”

“Yeah, you know, what do you do when you’re bored?” 

“Stay bored?” She shrugged. Jungeun rarely had time for anything else. When she felt unproductive she just sat and read her textbooks (which did nothing to cure her boredom).

“You’re insufferable Kim Jungeun.”

_ I know. _ “Well, what do you do?”

“Take pictures, play with the street kittens near my house, go outside, hang out with my brothers—”

“Okay, I get it. What are you playing at?”

“I want  _ you _ to take me around, I want to do something  _ you _ want to do.”

“Why would you want to do that?” She pictured the both of them sitting at her desk, reading her Calculus textbook to pass time—doing something she’d normally do.

“Because I want to have the ‘Kim Jungeun’ experience.” She grinned wolfishly. 

“There’s not much, you’re not missing anything.” The two of them exited the store, walking aimlessly through the street.

_ Something I want to do?..  _ She started thinking hard.

“There’s this arcade my sister and I used to go to when we were little. They have this small karaoke booth that I used to spend hours at a time in.”

“You had me at arcade.” Jiwoo linked their arms, looking soulfully at her friend. “By all means, lead the way!” 

She was even surprised the small establishment was still alive and thriving. It wasn’t anything special to the rest of Korea or the big city around it, but to Jungeun it was perfect. With its vintage coin slot games making a variety of robot and alien sounds, the worn-in dance dance revolution sitting smack in the middle of the playing grounds, and the karaoke booths near the back of the opened shop. 

Distracted by taking in the nostalgia, she didn’t even remember Jiwoo leave her side and book a room for them. Not until the other girl was dragging her across the arcade floor. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

“I can tell, you looked like you’ve never been in an arcade before, just standing there like a robot.”

“Everything is still the same…”

“Why would it change?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t think anyone still came here. When I was younger, there still weren’t many people that came.”

“Well, we’re here now. Pick a song!” Jiwoo shoved the songbook in her lap, along with the mini Ipad that was connected to the interface. 

She chose Hyuna’s “Flower Shower”. Everything felt so habitual, the song starting and all of her apprehension melting away.

_ “ _ _ I just wanna be your flower _

_ Freshly red _

_ With my flowery scent, I lure in all the bees  _

_ Even as flowers wither, don't you worry _

_ They will bloom again  _

_ As I bloom in vivid colors, everyone stares at me” _

Jiwoo in the back, cheering her on and singing all the adlibs. It was almost like everything was in slow motion. For once all she felt was the song blasting around them, Jiwoo’s laughs competing for the loudness, and her own voice belting out the long notes of the song.

_ “ _ _ They're all looking at me now, all of this attention _

_ I don't hate it, I don't hate it, eh eh _

_ Flowers bloom again _

_ Just gotta let it go, OK _

_ Can you hear me now?” _

There was no weight on her chest, she felt invincible. For once, she didn’t feel the crushing weight of her own past decisions tug at her heart and suffocate her, she felt…free. 

“Woooooooo,” Jiwoo let out once the song ended. “I’ve never seen you so energetic!”

Slumping back down in her seat, chest heaving with big breaths as she tried to calm down a bit, she felt reinvigorated. 

“Here, your turn.” She lazily passed her the mic. 

Somewhat expected, Jiwoo chose “Umpah Umpah” By Red Velvet. Jumping along with the lyrics, Jiwoo sang the song perfectly, stable and hitting all the notes, she looked beautiful. 

_ What? _

_ Do I like girls?  _ Jungeun’s cheeks growing increasingly hot. She wasn’t that off, Jiwoo was a pretty girl. But she had never felt this, this odd fluttering sensation in her chest. Jiwoo was even performing the original choreo for the song, unaware of her visual panic. The ringtone of her phone perfectly sounding the room as the song ended, Jungeun allowed her self to circle back to these thought’s later—her mom was calling her again.

“Jungeun-ah, where are you?”

“I-I’m out with a friend.” 

“Come home, we need to go over the complications of the marriage.”

“Marriage?” Last time she checked she was only 17, not the legal marrying age in Korea.

“Your father has some people we need to close a deal with, they happen to have a son just your age.” The line went dead.

She wasn’t that dense, she could pick up on the situation. For a moment she forgot she wasn’t in control of her own life. Sure, she could go out freely with Jiwoo like this, but she didn’t have control, not where it mattered. 

“Jiwoo-yah, I have to get going.”

“Awwww, but we just got here.” She frowned. 

“You can stay, but my mom needs me at home.” Her response was almost robotic. 

“Hmm, alright.” She gave up, knowing there was nothing she could do to keep Jungeun here. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” She tried to sympathize with the now blue girl.

“Fine, bye Junggie.” She finally smiled, making Jungeun smile in return before leaving and heading outside to where her driver was already waiting—her mom sending one to her location in a snap. 

But that smile all but fizzled away when she stepped foot in her house. Seeing the extra pairs of shoes at the door. They were men’s dress shoes, one pair bigger than the other.  _ A father and son. _ She concluded. She took her time taking off her shoes and coat, not in any rush to meet what looks like her future husband. 

“Oh, Jungeun, how nice of you to join us!” Her dad said in a fake voice, not that she had heard the real one very often. 

“Hi, appa.” She faintly made her way over to the living area where he and 2 others were sitting. Leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek—just like she was taught. 

“I don’t believe you’ve met the Do’s.” She obediently took a seat next to her father. “This is Junmyeon-ssi and his son Kyungsoo, me and his father are business friends.”

“And soon to be partners.” Junmyeon raised his scotch glass as a celebratory expression, his son so evidently uncomfortable. Junmyeon was by no means an unattractive man, the slides of his hair graying he was the stock photo image of a businessman, but his son was softer, it was hard to explain but he had a…kinder expression.

“That we will be,” her father mimicked his raised glass and downed the small remaining amount of alcohol he had left.

“I want you two to get familiar,” Junmyeon pointed back and forth between his son and her, “you’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”

Kyungsoo just looked down at his feet and Jungeun stared back at his dad with a lifeless expression. Neither of them wanted this, this was the last thing either of them wanted. But then again, what did she even want? To spend time with Jiwoo for the rest of her life? She realized that life itself was comprised of a series of unenjoyable events. Or that life itself was one big unenjoyable event, one where Kim Jungeun just kept losing and losing, over and over again, until she had nothing left to give her parents—for they’ve milked her of all her being. 

This was just another thing she was going to have to sit and take. Assuming this was going where she thought it was going, Kyungsoo was destined to be her husband in this business-like arranged marriage. Not that she minded (this was a common thing in Korea, even today), she had never been in love before and was convinced it was all made up, but why was there this firey burning sensation in her heart whenever she thought about being with anyone other than Jiwoo? 

_ Must be hormones. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I'm happy to hear many of you like this story! I will work hard for more quality updates :)
> 
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	4. "Curiosity is not a bad thing"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rather beefy chapter, which sort of makes up for the late update! Enjoy!

She couldn’t take it anymore. Sitting in that same salon chair again every week, watching the stylist burn her scalp with that same bleach, it made her so angry. Sometimes she wished she could have control over at least her hair. Why didn’t she? Just fuck it and dye it any color she wanted? There was very little stopping her, just the invisible barrier of obedience her parents had instilled in her mind since birth. It was a simple line she needed to cross, an easy one at that. 

So she did it. 

She lied to the hair lady, “Aaa, unnie, my mom wants it brown this time.”

“Really? She scheduled a bleach and root touch up appointment.” Her unnie looked at her quizzically. 

“Yeah, just some last-minute changes.”

“Hmmm, that’s nice. I love a new look, you’ve been blonde for 2 years.”

_ I know. _ She thought to herself, trying her best to not let her smile be too visible as the salon worker changed from bleach to hair dye. Looking in the mirror, she looked different. Which was pretty obvious considering her hair was a completely different color. The way the light hit her hair in certain angles made it look a hint of blonde, streaks of her past dyes shining through in a pleasant way, she was satisfied. 

Nervous to step inside her house, she prepares herself for the consequences. But for the first time in forever, she felt invigorated, excited for herself. 

“Oh, Jungeun-ah. You’re home from the salon.” Her mom didn’t bother looking up from her phone, sitting at the counter in their kitchen. “You have a scheduled lunch date with Do Kyungsoo this Saturday at 12. I’ll have the driver take you shopping some time this week.”

She didn’t notice. Her mom didn’t even notice her hair changed, looking up at her with the same fake expression in her eyes. 

“Yes, Eomma.” She left for her room. 

She didn’t even notice. Her mom couldn’t even be bothered with the details of her own daughter.  _ This is why Somin left. Because of you. _ She thought wickedly, cheeks burning in anger. 

___

“Your hair changed!” Jiwoo screamed in her seat. They were sitting together in their assigned ones before class. Jungeun’s expression tsundere, but in reality, it touched her that Jiwoo noticed—unlike some people. 

“Yeah.”

“Wow, you look pretty!” Jiwoo cheered her on. Only making her more embarrassed, hiding her face in her hands as the bell rang, a couple of students seated in front of them turning to see what her desk partner was going off about. 

This was the epitome of their whole dynamic; Jiwoo hyping anything and everything up and Jungeun tagging along, watching this human embodiment of a golden retriever live life. The one question she had about it all, why was Jiwoo her friend? Surely if the other girl had left her side she’d have plenty of like-minded friends but instead, she chose to stay by her side. This was all a mystery to her. 

“I’ve decided to join the yearbook club.” They were now sitting on the rooftop, despite the biting cold of an early autumn in Korea.

“That’s great,” Jungeun responded in her monotone voice, she was trying to sound more supportive but it didn’t come out right. 

“Yeah, I turned in my application and portfolio and they accepted me right on the spot!” 

“Really? It’s no surprise considering you’re good at photography already.” She was picking at her lunch.

“The only downside is that I’m gonna have my hands full now and we can’t hang out after school as much as I’d like. Or…Wait! You could join the club too—”

“No thank you.” She immediately turned down the offer. 

“Why?” Jiwoo pouted, giving her puppy dog eyes. 

“I’m not interested in yearbook.” 

“Hmmm, fair enough.” Jiwoo took a bite out of her homemade kimbap. “Guess you’ll just have to manage without me.” She slyly grinned. 

Rolling her eyes and changing the topic, “How are you going to shoot if you don’t have a camera?”

“The school has a couple of unused ones they can lend me for the time being. But until then, I need to save up for a new one.” She sighed, the stress prevalent in her features. Jiwoo was a hard worker, there was no doubt about that, the only fault being that it was hard to keep up with her classes, work, and trying to pay for her tuition. 

Jiwoo was here on a scholarship, but that still wasn’t enough to cover the beefy chunk of tuition that took up her parent’s expenses after. She didn’t want to be a burden on them, they worked so hard for her and her brothers; so she picked up a second job. One at a convenience store near her house. She worked early in the morning before school and a shift after dinner, around 10-1 am. 

_ I should buy her a camera soon, she looks tired these days. _ More often than not, she caught Jiwoo dozing off in the library during their break period. The shorter girl’s excuse being that it’s nice and quiet in there. 

“Speaking of clubs, I’ve got a meeting today after school.” 

_ I should swing by the camera shop while she’s not there. _ She was planning out methodically. 

“Can we hang out this weekend?” Jiwoo turned to her. 

“Uh-I kind of have plans already.” She winced. 

“Huh? Kim Jungeun has plans with someone?” Jiwoo teased. 

“Yah!”

“I’m kidding, we can hang out whenever, or not at all. Remember, we see each other literally every day.” Jiwoo bumped their shoulders together endearingly. 

Watching the girls of the yearbook club gather around Jiwoo, guiding their new member to the club room made Jungeun’s heart uncomfortably clench in her chest. She recognized a few girls, Heejin, one of her old friends, and Sooyoung, Jinsoul’s old crush. She remembered how Jinsoul would go on and on about the “amazing Ha Sooyoung”. Oddly enough, the way Jinsoul would look at her was alarmingly similar to how Jiwoo was looking at her.  _ Does Jiwoo like Sooyoung? _

The evidence was all there, she was laughing at all her jokes, staring at her with those eyes…Jungeun was starting to feel hot in the face again, and not the good kind, like when Jiwoo calls her pretty or when their hands unknowingly brush against each other when they walk in the halls. It was an irritating kind of hot, like the kind when she gets mad at her parents or when she gets a bad grade on a test she spent a long time studying for. Was she…jealous? 

No.

There was no way she was jealous. What was there to be jealous of? The fact that she now had to share Kim Jiwoo, that she was no longer the only person Jiwoo showered with affection and love, that she was going to be second to fucking Ha Sooyoung if she didn’t prove herself useful. That Jiwoo would eventually get sick of her and leave. Yeah, there was no way…

Her eyebrows furrowing unknowingly as she loaded into the driver’s car. 

“Ms.Kim, i-is everything alright?” The driver asked in a shaky voice, intimidated by her demeanor. 

“Yes, please take me to that same camera shop we went to last week.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He complied, turning up the smooth jazz that was playing on the radio to fill the silence. 

The store seemed somewhat empty without Jiwoo in it. With no Jiwoo, it was just a regular camera shop, nothing special. 

“Hi,” she was at the cash register, “do you guys have the Nikon Z 50?”

“Um, we’re actually sold out. But we’re getting a new stock this weekend.”

“Is there any way I can reserve one now?”

“I’m sorry, we don’t offer anything like that here. Everything is first come first serve.”

“Oh,”  _ Shit. _ She was busy this weekend. “What time?”

“The shipment is coming at 2 pm.” 

That meant she had exactly 2 hours or less for her lunch before rushing over her to pick up a camera. And she was praying Jiwoo wasn’t working at this time, she didn’t want to ask her because then it would be too obvious. The only convenient thing about this whole situation was that Jiwoo’s birthday was coming up.  _ October 20th. _

The date engrained in her brain, it was all next week. She  _ needed  _ this camera, even if it meant having her lunch date cut short. No,  _ especially _ if it meant her lunch date was cut short. 

___

It was D-Day, the day she was dreading and anticipating all at once. Luckily, Jiwoo hadn’t noticed her jitteriness at school on Friday, she was practically all nerves during lunch when Jiwoo was talking to her about her most recent photo project. 

Today she would be meeting Kyungsoo at some fancy restaurant, they would eat lunch for an hour and a half, talk, whatever. Then she would have her driver call her at precisely 1:30 pretending to be a classmate that had plans for a last-minute project and she’d leave to get the camera. She could just tell Kyungsoo she had somewhere to be, she was sure he wouldn’t mind, but if her mom got even a whiff of this meticulous plan, she’d be done for. 

She was wearing a vibrant red beret, paired with a new brown Burberry overcoat she bought earlier this week, underneath she was wearing a simple black turtle neck with the platinum pendant her dad bought her for her birthday last year. Getting a nod of approval from her mom before heading out the door and into the car. 

Jungeun wasn’t nervous in the slightest, Kyungsoo was a normal boy. Well, not normal. But he was just like her, living a life dictated by his parents, so this lunch was going to be interesting, to say the least. 

He was wearing a nice white button-down, paired with some nice pleated, fitting dress pants. His long coat resting on the back of his chair and his sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing a rather hefty gold Rolex. Spotting her, he smiled and waved. His smile reminded her of Jiwoo’s, he smiled with his whole face, eyes scrunching up and gums showing. 

“Kyungsoo-ssi,” she bowed respectfully before sitting down. 

“We don’t have to use honorifics, you know. Our parents aren’t here.” He reassured. “You can call me Oppa.”

Kyungsoo seemed nice, so far no red flags were set off. He was nice to the servers and a very pleasant conversationalist. Maybe she didn’t need her semi-elaborate plan after all. 

“Listen, I know we were both forced to come to this lunch, but tell me how you feel about all this.” He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms after taking a sip from the how tea they ordered. 

“This?” She looked at him, amused. “What? Being in an arranged marriage? I don’t know, could’ve been a lot worse for the both of us, we dodged a bullet.” 

It was true, thank god Kyungsoo was an actual human and no some douche bag rich guy that treated everyone like the floor beneath him. Same with Jungeun, she was a responsible and independent girl, conscientious of the people around her. 

Laughing, “We really did, didn’t we? But I wanna know, you’re not the slightest bit ticked off that your parents did this?”

“No, not really. I never really knew any different since they’ve been in control for so long.”

“Your hair changed.” Kyungsoo blurted out. 

“Huh?”

“I just noticed, you were blonde the last time I saw you.”

“That’s right. And back to what I was saying, I never really expected my parents to give me much freedom. Not even when it came to romance.”

“Really? Well, what do you want to be in the future?”

“Nothing, my parents are just going to force me into business school. Since I’m their only suitable heir.”

“That’s what I expected you to say.” Kyungsoo looked sad for her.

“There’s no point in finding something I like if I’m just going to end up being what my parents want me to be.”

“You don’t have any hobbies or anything? Friends maybe? I mean, I was pretty mad when my parents told me about this whole arrangement, no offense.”

“None taken, I’m sure most people would fight for their right to choose.” She said indifferently. 

“That’s why I find your stance on this so interesting. I’m gonna hold resentment towards my parents till the day I die.” 

Well, she certainly felt like she could tell Kyungsoo what’s on her mind, considering that they held the same respective opinion of their parents. 

“The sad thing is, this was the only reason we were born. For negotiations, continuing the bloodline.” Jungeun

“Yeah, makes me think the world must be really fucked up.”

“Do you have any siblings?” She asked him.

“No,”

“Well, I had an older sister.” She was choosing her next words very carefully. “She would be in my position if it wasn’t for them.”

“Ahh,” Kyungsoo seemed to catch on, raising an eyebrow and leaning forward again. “I mean, there’s really nothing we can do to combat their wishes when it comes to our arrangement.”

“Did you like someone before this? Now?” Jungeun fed into her curiosity since Kyungsoo actually has a life compared to her. 

“Me? Yeah, I like a guy. My Hyung.” 

“Oh,”  _ Kyungsoo likes…men? _ She really had no problem, she wasn’t one to be homophobic. She didn’t know why other people were. Why were they so obsessed with a life that wasn’t theirs? Hell, Jungeun wasn’t even sure  _ she  _ liked men. Her whole head has been a mess these days. “I’m assuming your parents don’t know, considering you’re sitting in front of me right now.”

“Yup.” He smiled, not the least bit bothered—well, not the least bit bothered on the  _ surface _ . “You don’t mind, do you? That I like guys?”

“No, I’m not that kind of person, To be honest with you I’m not sure I’m 100% straight either.”

“Ooo, tell me more.” He mischievously smiled. 

Maybe it was the bond they shared over hating their parents, or maybe it was just that Kyungsoo was one of the few people that actually listened to her, but she felt comfortable enough to tell him about her situation with Jiwoo. 

“Well, there’s this girl…”

“There always is,”

“Anyway, I don’t know.” She sighed, a bit flustered actually talking about it for once. “She’s just…nice and nice to be around. And she cares.”

“Bingo,” his smile satisfied as he takes a bite of cheesecake the waiter brought a couple of minutes ago. “You’re attracted to her because she gives you the one thing that your parents couldn’t buy you.”

“Huh?” Either she was a huge idiot, or Kyungsoo was a genius—probably a mix of both. 

“Us rich kids are suckers for sentimental people. Trust me, I would know.” He sighed, carding a tired hand through his hair. 

“I guess we are.” She finally slumped in her chair. 

“I can’t believe our parents paired two homosexuals together.” He laughed. 

Checking her watch and nearly jumping out of her skin, “Hey, you know that girl I was talking about?”

“Yea?”

“Well, her birthday is coming up and she’s not that well off, she broke her camera, and now she’s working two jobs to try and save up for a new one.”

“Sounds tough, sometimes I forget that we have more money than we need.” He frowned.

“Yeah, and I need to get her this special one that’s coming back out today. You don’t mind if I leave early do you?”

“Actually, do you mind if I come with you?”

“Sure, anything. I just need to get there.” She started getting her coat on in a hurried manner. Both getting ready, Kyungsoo linking their arms together, catching her off guard. 

“What?” He looked at her. “We need to practice being straight so that it’ll look convincing at parties.”

“You make a good point.” She dragged him outside to her car, shoving the both of them into the back seat before telling the drive to speed it to the camera store. 

Probably breaking several traffic laws, they make it there in under 10 minutes. Jungeun grabbing Kyungsoo again and pulling him down the block, both of them running towards the shop. Inside it was a bit more crowded than usual, people probably buying the new camera. 

Perched on the display case, she snatches a model, carefully cradling it in her arms before standing beside Kyungsoo in line. 

“Jungeun?” 

_Oh shit._ _Why does this always happen to me?_ She turned around to face the very surprised Kim Jiwoo stocking shelves with newly packaged lenses. 

“H-hi Jiwoo.” 

_ “Is this the girl? Oof—” _ Kyungsoo whispered to her before she elbowed him in the gut, Jiwoo was walking over and she didn’t want her to hear. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you were busy?” Jiwoo smiled politely, bowing to the pretend couple before her. 

“I-I, my friend here wanted to pick up a new camera s-so we stopped by after I remembered this place.” She lied, her hands were shaking so bad. 

“Oh, your friend?” Jiwoo looked dangerously curious. Looking over to the boy that stood 4 inches taller than her, next to Jungeun. “Nice to meet you, please take care of Jungeun.” She bowed again. 

“Aha, it’s not like that.” He laughed nervously, not wanting to blow Jungeun’s chances with this girl. “Our parents are friends and we just recently met.”

“Oh, I see.” Jiwoo was still smiling, she looked genuinely happy. “I’m glad just Junggie’s getting out of her room and making more friends these days. Enjoy the camera!” She turned to resume her work duties, leaving the two alone in line. 

“Junggie?” He snickered.

“Yah!” She whispered dangerously. 

“I can see why you like her, she’s the exact opposite of you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She set the camera on the counter to pay. 

“Let me get that.” Kyungsoo handed the cashier his black card before continuing the conversation. “I’m just saying that opposites attract. Also, she’s very cute.” He playfully nudged her, handing her a newly purchased camera. 

“She is.” She smiled at Jiwoo’s hard-working frame, trying to sort packaged film canisters. “I really like her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> You guys can follow [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/akuma__jpg), I love orbit mutuals <3
> 
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	5. Jiwoo Short (no pun intended ;) )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays guys! Thank you for supporting me through here! If you want to commission more works, you can through [my ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/akuma_jpg). But for now, enjoy this little chapter about Jiwoo and the yearbook club.

Tightly clutching the application paper in her hands, she waited outside of the club room. Her thoughts running a thousand miles an hour, she was preparing for the interview part of the application process. 

Apparently, the yearbook club this year was running short of a few members since it was run by mostly seniors that were focusing on graduating and needed more members. She was the only one applying, but she was still very nervous and afraid of possible rejection. Getting impatient, she slightly peeked her head inside. Seeing two girls casually chatting, one sitting on top of a desk while the other one leaned on a chair across from her. The girl standing was very pretty, with dark shoulder-length hair, athletic build, and cute smile. Heejin spotted Jiwoo waiting outside, from her spot on the other side of the room. 

“Oh, Jiwoo! You’re here!” She looked somewhat relieved that someone finally decided to join their little circle. 

Politely bowing before entering the room, heads turned her direction. Feeling small under their unreadable gaze, she makes her way toward the club leader. 

“I brought my portfolio like you asked!” She tried her best to smile even in this tense environment. 

“Oh, thank you!” She smiled with a glow that burned brighter than a million suns, it only made Jiwoo want to rival it with her own brilliant grin. Heejin never failed to make her feel welcomed and warm. “Sooyoung-unnie! Come check this out.”

The same tall girl came to stand behind Jiwoo, startling her as she turned around. “This the newbie?”

“Mhm,” Heejin was already focused on opening the thick folder Jiwoo handed her. 

“Hello, I’m Kim Jiwoo, 2nd year.” She turned and bowed again. 

“Ahh, you don’t need to be that formal,” Sooyoung reassured her with a kind smile, extending her hand out to her. “Ha Sooyoung, 2nd year as well.”

Shaking it, her whole face smiling as she had just made a new friend. 

“Wow, Jiwoo, your work is really beautiful.” Heejin was floored, looking at one of her candid shots of the morning market. She remembers taking that picture, it was a brisk and foggy morning, captured in the shot was her dad unpacking a crate of apples, his expression calm and peaceful as the market alleyway was empty behind him. 

Sauntering over to take a look at the other submissions, Sooyoung picked up a black and white film. It was one of Jiwoo’s more experimental shots, of a stray cat feeding her kittens in a little nook near her small apartment complex. 

“You seem to really know your stuff, composition and all looks great.” Sooyoung complimented, also in awe of her work.

“Do you know how to develop film yourself?” Heejin asked, struggling to tear her eyes away from one of the many portraits Jiwoo shot. 

“Yeah, I work at a camera shop where there’s a red room. So I’m pretty experienced in that.”

“Well, we’re only the yearbook club but since there’s no photography club we kinda also take on that title. So they let us develop film here.” Sooyoung pointed to a door near the end of the room, presumably where they work on film. 

“Not gonna lie Jiwoo, you’re kind of our savior.” Heejin exhaled, running a hand through her hair.

“Do you think she can compete?” Sooyoung leaned over the table, towards Heejin.

“Compete in what?” Jiwoo asked, feeling out of the loop. 

“Every year, Hanlim lets us participate in a photography contest that’s district-wide. Every school in South Korea competes, including all the private art schools. But we’ve never won.” Heejin digressed. 

“We kind of sent out fliers  _ saying _ we were looking for new yearbook members, but really, we’re just looking for someone with potential who can bring us home a trophy.”

“Oh,” she said, the gears in her brain working hard right now. 

“Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of talented people in this small club, but we need fresh meat.” Sooyoung placed a hand on her shoulder. “You might be just what we’re looking for.”

“Judging from the sheer quality of your work, I’d say you’re more than qualified to join!” Heejin elated. 

Her cheeks turning a bright shade of red in embarrassment, or maybe it was just that Sooyoung was really pretty.

“What do you usually shoot, what type of camera do you use?” Sooyoung asked their new member.

“Um, I’m comfortable with everything, really. Usually, I shoot with film, mostly because I can’t afford a digital camera.” 

“You broke your film one recently, right?” Heejin remembered, quickly getting up to rummage through the storage room. 

“Y-yeah, I’m saving up for a new one.”

“Great, until then you can just use one of the school’s cameras.” Heejin handed her expensive-looking canon camera. 

“Thanks,” she looked down at her feet, ashamed that she wasn’t wealthy enough to afford even a cheap film camera at this point. But these were things she was used to, all her life she had to deal with it. Buying second-hand things, always having less, didn’t bother her as much as it used to, because she was still happy. Her parents worked hard for her and her brothers, she had food on her table and a roof over her head. Sure, she had to work insane hours in order to get another worn SLR camera, but it always filled her with a sense of pride that she was powerful enough to earn things.

“Wanna head out and take it for a test run? I wanna see what the photography prodigy, Kim Jiwoo, is made of!” Sooyoung linked their arms, a determined fire burning in her eyes.

“S-sure, are we even allowed to leave campus?”

“Who said we’re leaving campus? I want to see how you improvise!” She dragged them out of the classroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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**Author's Note:**

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